


Half-Burnt Soul

by ghostlerhost



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magnus Burntsides AU, Major Spoilers, Past Relationship(s), Suicide Attempt, The Eleventh Hour Spoilers, magnus fucking dies au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-01-31 15:47:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21448690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostlerhost/pseuds/ghostlerhost
Summary: He could only remember his death.The quarry's hot, stickly air dried his throat. Beneath him, the rattle of cart-wheels grated against his ears and almost drowned out the panicked cries behind him.His friends- a dwarf and an elf. He saved their lives at the expense of his own.That was ten years ago. And Magnus was found again.
Relationships: Magnus Burnsides/Taako
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	1. The Eleventh Hour

**Author's Note:**

> be warned, this contains heavy spoilers to TAZ: Balance, especially for The Eleventh Hour

He could only retain the fuzzy memories.

The mine cart, rattling and vibrating with tense excitement, carried him and two others towards the light of freedom; in his calloused hands a shimmering thing- long and impossibly beautiful. It could have pierced him if he wasn't careful.  
But he was careful- calculated for what he could believe to be the first time. He turned sharply to his friends, a stubby dwarf and a gracefully beautiful elf, and pulled them towards him, their knees dragged against the lips of each cart.

_"Magnus-"_ The elf was amazed, _"What are you doing?"_

He said nothing, wrapping the hands of his friends around the thing.

_"Magnus- Magnus, what are you doing?"_

Magnus licked his dry lips, eyes latched onto their freedom. He was trembling, lifting them up onto his shoulders and winding back. It was only then that his friends realized what he was about to do.

_"Magnus- Don't-"_

But their protests fell upon deaf ears. Taking a sharp breath in, he thrusted them forward, the shrill scream of his name from the elf and the dwarf growing distant and their outstretched arms going further and further away, unreachable.  
Magnus heaved. He was tired, sweaty; he would die a hero. He was satisfied with just that. And he was burned alive.

He could never truly forget the roar of fire: deafening and filling his ears; nor the collision against the wall of flame, how it cooked his flesh, knocked the wind from his chest, ate away at him until only his bones remained. He was haunted by it. Haunted by the ghost of his memories.

Magnus was stripped of everything he had: His body, his mind- memories of friends, of family, of his accomplishments- _of who he was as a person_; but one fact remained; brazen and proud.

He was _**Magnus**_, and he was _a hero._


	2. The Quarry

Magnus sat underneath the crack of light, watching the morning light slip through and touch his numb face.

Parts of him flaked off- crumbled off even. He was cobbled together, a knobby approximation of a man. He had schlucked himself back together multiple times: parts of him made from his ashes, mud and rare rainwater: he learned to collect water just in case if he was to come undone again.

Above him, the world carried on without him. He never did mind, though: He was a simple miner who saved his friends.  
At least- that's what he supposed he was. The quarry was his home. He learned the nuances of the stalactite's song, found forgotten pickaxe heads and pieces of shimmering pieces of gold the colour of sunlight. He understood the logistics of mining having tried it himself and taught himself the proper form and stance; surely he was a miner. Magnus sighed, figuring not to dwell too deeply on it and attempting to enjoy the light for as long as he could. 

The world shifted above him. A voice, thick with unreadable emotion, came muffled into the quarry.

"Hey Mango."

His friends had arrived. Magnus beamed.  
"Hail and well met, friends!" he bellowed, "Suppose it's time for our annual reunion?"

His friends didn't respond- he was used to this, and he would rather listen. Looking up to the sliver above him, Magnus saw the vague image of bodies huddling around something. _Must be somethin' real interesting' _he thought. They were an odd bunch, his friends. They always came with stories about fantastical adventures and brought with them sweet-smelling things called "macaroons." Magnus always welcomed this and envied the fact that they actually knew what macaroons were and how they tasted. Magnus never would outwardly admit to his envy though.

"It's been a year since we last saw you, buddy." Another voice chimed in bitterly, "Hope you're with Jules."

Magnus twisted his face in confused thought, chips of his cheeks falling from his blackened jawbone. He thought about what they said- his supposed reunion with a woman named Julia, Jules for short. He didn't know a woman named Julia. Or perhaps he did, he couldn't recall.  
He chuckled to himself. _She must be real pretty._

"He probably is, Merle."

"I know, but like- what if he isn't?"

"Merle."

"Taako...?"

"You fucking believe-" 'Taako' scoffed, "Let's just do what we always do when we visit."

"...Fine."

And their stories began to fill the quarry, and the 'macaroons' smell followed. He smiled.

Listening was one of his strong suits, after all.

* * *

The howl of wind signified a wild storm.

Magnus, groggy and slowed, sat up; his back aching. He pushed himself off the ground and craned his neck, turning an ear closer to the crack. He bristled when he heard a voice- fierce and passionate and distant. The voice screamed, egging on a fight that Magnus wasn't aware of happening until then.

"Come on!" They cried, pained, "Is that the worst you got?" After their cry a rumble rushed for them and they recoiled with a loud splutter.  
"Is that all you got?" They egged again. Magnus thought hard for a moment and it registered. It was 'Taako'

_What is he doin'?_  
Magnus was exasperated.   
_He gon' get himself killed!   
_Rushing underneath the crack, Magnus, voice hoarse and gravelly with sleep, roared. "What in tarnation are y'doin'? Stop yer fighting- You'll damn well die if y'don't!"

The one-sided fight continued with no pause. Magnus listened on in horror: 'Taako' was thrashed above the quarry- unseen by Magnus but heard well; and a hellish shriek pommelled Magnus' ears, viciously and without mercy. 'Taako' was _dying _and he _knew_ he was. And Magnus could only listen.  
It wasn't long until the fight ended: perhaps a minute or two before silence. Magnus looked up. The rain was only starting to fall. It cooled his heated, clay face and melted parts of his sculpted hair. Thick clouds rolled over and blanketed the Earth as if to shield him and his friend; to console them.

"Is that- Is that all you got...?" said the harrowingly sorrowful 'Taako'. He hiccuped. "Is that really all you got?_"_ Sucking in air, he squeaked the last of his lament: a sob with words pouring out of quivering lips. _"__You couldn't fucking just kill me there like you did him?" _Magnus could hear the pain of repressing sorrows break his voice.

It pained him to know that his friend suffered, it pained him more to know that he couldn't help and protect them either.


	3. Awaited Return

'Taako's return was awaited with bated breath and twiddling, crumbling thumbs. Magnus, uncomfortably tense and needy for answers and confirmation, watched the sliver fade into cycles of the sky's gradients and lost count of the days he hadn't heard his friends voices or saw their vague bodies through the single crack and rejoiced at the familiar voice. His joy rose and fell, noticing the shameful tones.

'Taako' spoke with a heavy heart. "Hello again, Magnus."

"Taako!" Magnus cried out, suddenly standing and throwing his arms up towards the stalactites in excited relief, "Bless yer heart- What happened t' ya?" Pacing the indented circle in the ground, Magnus blathered on, "You had me looking like a chicken with its head cut off- going round and picking fights with folks tougher than yerself; Reckon you're a card short from a whole deck, damn fool! I heard the whole damn thing and you best be alright or so help me, I'll skin your hide and nail it to the barn door."

"It- It's a few months late but we're back." 'Taako' said, "I'm sorry about that."

Puffing with his excited energy, Magnus responded without batting an eye. "Consider yerself forgiven," He waved a dismissive palm, ignoring the fact that no-one would see and no-one would hear, "I'm just glad yer back."

A bumbled voice started in- 'Merle' spoke next. "I don't know if you can hear this, Mango, but Taako, the big dummy, went to go fight the wyrm and forgot his umbrastaff-"

"Hey- Don't go announcing everything I do!"

Magnus couldn't help but shudder. The visceral remembrance of what happened pricked at his dry spine and trickled down his back. A 'wyrm', learning the name of that _thing_ 'Taako' fought was chilling enough.

"-Besides, he's probably living it up with Julia by now, it's been two years, Merle."

"It's probably been a little over nine years but- Consarn it, That does it!" Jabbing a finger to the voices above him, Magnus barked, "Who in the hay is this 'Julia'?" His cheeks bristled with annoyance. "Come on, now, I wanna know!" Cupping his ears, he listened for an answer that never came.

"...We miss you, Mango, everyone back at the ... miss you, too."

'Taako' tutted his tongue, "Let's face it, Merle, he probably can't hear us."

Magnus huffed. "I can hear you just fine- 'cept for some parts of your speech, is all fuzzy in all, now tell me about this 'Julia' girl." He received silence, then 'Merle' chortled.

"He probably can," He said, "But he probably is _busy_ with Julia, if you know what I mean," spluttering into a laugh, he continued, "Let's just pay our respects, hang out with our old pal and head back to ... Friend Taako!" Then 'Taako' laughed. It was a silvery, tired but fond laugh.

"Maybe so, Friend Merle, let's."

The bristle dissipated but returned with a jittery rush. He smiled at Taako's laugh, altogether forgetting his frustration, "Now, I don't know why I'm the old friend there, but I am alright with y'all hanging out, might I declare that I want y'all to hang out with me." Sand spilt through the crack, lightly dusting his ashes shoulders. Above him, the shapes of his friends sat down as did he and they resumed their disrupted routine. They ignored the story of 'Taako' and the 'wyrm'; 'Taako' jested with 'Merle', 'Merle' fumbled with his 'macaroon' and 'Taako' gave snide remarks about it and Magnus listened to their antics, settling down from his previous excited outburst. Magnus laughed at their jokes; they made him smile - they were unseen family to him. He appreciated their company; truly he did.  
He would give them the world if he could, and possibly a hug to 'Taako', he deserved one.

* * *

Pink skies brought their visit to an end. Magnus frowned. _It's always too short._

'Merle' beckoned 'Taako' away. 'Merle' sounded far off and muffled, not as clear as 'Taako', who was still by the crack.

"I'll be right with ya' Merle," said 'Taako', "Just gonna slip him some of his faves and the last goodbye for the year."

'Merle's annoyed yip to Taako followed. _"Don't take forever, Taako, or I swear to Pan I'll-"_

"Alright, alright! It'll be quick."

A small, pastel coloured disc shape was wedged into the crack. It fell and landed onto Magnus' face, plinking off his cheek and onto his lap- split in two; sweet smelling: A "macaroon".

"See you next year, Mango." A whisper echoed through out the quarry, "I miss you a lot- love you too, I guess..."

Magnus plucked the "macaroon" between his fingers, warmth kissing his cheeks lightly. "Thank you kindly, see you next year- and I suppose I love ya too, my friend." Pushing the "macaroon" past his lips, Magnus was taken aback by the new taste, Almond- sweet and impossibly delicious; the texture was incredible. Stars seemed to briefly glaze his vision. _ A damn good 'macaroon'! _Impressed, Magnus waved to 'Taako' as the vague shape got up and disappeared from his vision.

_"Taako!"_

"I'm moseying my ass over there, be patient, you!"


	4. The Quarry Caves

Magnus would notice anything new about the quarry.

The quarry- hot, stickly and stuffy in its entirety- was something he knew perfectly: His practiced footsteps, each crack; each of the seventy-six pickaxe heads; each and every crack, little and small- If anything was to change, that change would be a spectacle in and of itself. The most recent call of attention from his home was the crack above his head- his constant meeting place with 'Taako' and 'Merle'. It began to split- slowly but most certainly. Each passing day, it would grow and deepen. A sliver to a small chasm. Magnus figured it a sign from the universe that he would no longer be alone.

But he grew bashful suddenly. It occurred to him that his friends would finally see him, through the chasm, and he wasn't quite up to par with the whimsy-grace of the elf or the sturdily goof of the dwarf; both people he considered quite pleasing to look at. (The only reason why he would consider them beautiful was simply because he had never seen anyone else; but he was humbled with the disturbing discovery of his reflection. It embarrassed him to _know_ that he was as grotesque as he was.) Magnus sighed, quietly mourned the loss of his ego, revived it, and carried on.

By the time the reunion the chasm had split enough so that Magnus would be proper seen and get a proper look of his friends. Beyond the quarry, flits of dry green peered over the hole. Blue paled in as morning woke the world above. Magnus caught ear of children's laughter and watched as something strange bubbled past: A polished, metallic orb. Magnus cocked a brow and inclined his head forward, attempting to squint the oddity away as colourful pairs of legs moved past- one longer than another, and another longer than another. One stopped and a petite face peered in, linking eyes with Magnus behind rounded lenses suspended by wire and anchored on the nose and by the ears.

"Hail 'n well met, lil' fella." Magnus waved and became giddy when he gained one in return, albeit one that was uneasy and anxious.

The face pulled away and turned aside. The little person spoke with a child's quiet fear. _"...Taako...?"_

"Yeah, Ango?" 'Taako' sounded indifferent. "What is it?"  
  
The little 'Ango' looked back to Magnus. "There's something down there..."

"Well, yeah. There is always something down there. Not like the people of Refuge could get-"  
  
'Ango' interjected, "No, no, sir. _There is something down there._"

Magnus frowned. _Bless your heart, I ain't just something,_ he huffed silently, _I'm Magnus the miner, hero of some! Reckon that to be more than just somethin'. _Magnus turned away, dispirited, and stopped suddenly. Looking up, he linked eyes with 'Ango', but then turned his attention to another pair of eyes, wide and shocked; familiar in their dread. Sand and dust landed onto his face, but he blinked the debris away. Something tugged at his chest; throbbing slowly with the quiet remembrance of his fuzzy memories. The last sense of pride when he took hold of the shimmering thing.

Magnus chewed his hard lip and accidentally bit through with the unexpected crack and crumble of earth.  
The hole above him grew larger- brighter. The two faces huddled by it suddenly pulled away just as quarry gave way.

And in tumbled two bodies. One of a small person; another of a beautiful elf.


	5. Reunion Tour

With a cry, the little person fumbled for a stick lodged in their back pocket. The stick, one pale with a little yellow doodad on the end, slipped out of their grabby hands as they fell. They shrieked when it got out of reach.

"My wand!" The little person's voice was shrill with panic.  
  
The elf looked to the little person and aimed a stick with a taut purple canopy flared out to their falling body and fired a brilliant shock of light to them.

Magnus cried out to the elf "What in tarnation are you doin'?" He ran under the two as the person's body slowed and gently drifted down and the elf zapped himself with the strange shock, "What is that? Are y'all alright?" Breathless and flickering his attention between the two, he calmed down when he started to grasp what had occurred. And when he calmed down, he met eyes with the elf.

They had a gorgeous face but it was clear that his appearance horrified them. A strange hat with a wide brim lightly shaded their face that was twisted in abject horror and their pale eyes were wide in shock. Moving his eyes lower, he caught sight of freckled skin peering through a sheer-looking blouse and peeking under a fluttering black skirt. Magnus stared a moment longer, suddenly remembering that his innocent eyes could be mistaken for something more perverse and bringing his gaze quickly down to the sediment on the floor. As he heard their heels connecting with the ground Magnus brought his eyes up slowly and turned his attention to the person beside the elf but quickly lost his train of thought as the elf spoke out.

Their voice sounded familiar but was distorted by the quarry's echo. "Magnus...?"

Magnus looked to the elf in mild confusion. He thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah." He said, "I reckon you to be Taako, right?"

Quietly, the elf nodded and confirmed that he was Taako.  
  
The clay man beamed. "Well, I'll be! If it ain't friend Taako!" Approaching Taako, he took his slender hands into his, shaking them firmly, "It's great to see y'all in person! Are y'alright? How is the littl'un here - what's your name, son?" Pivoting over to the smaller person and taking in their petite features. He chuckled softly when they hid behind Taako and dropped a knee to level himself with them, "I didn't mean to scare you. I reckon you must be Ango, huh?"

'Ango' nodded and inched closer to Taako.

"Magnus - Magnus, is that you?" Taako spoke in a small voice, "Oh my gods - is that really you, Mango?"

Magnus nodded. "It sure as hell is me, Taako. Now for the alive bit - I dunno!" With a small laugh, he scratched at his chipping cheeks. "I got a porch light on, but no-one home."

Taako feigned a laugh. "Why you talkin' like that, 'pardner'?" Retracting his hands back, he massaged them slowly. "It's freaking me out."

"Well, I always been talkin' like this, son." Magnus said with a curious smile, "Reckon yer as lost as last year's easter-"

"No, seriously, why the fuck are you talking like that." Suddenly serious, Taako dropped his hands.

'Ango', growing braver, stepped to Magnus and looked him in the eyes. His round lenses reflected Magnus' image to him and reminded him of how disturbing he was to look at. He asked him "Sir, where are you from?"

"Why, I hail from Refuge," Magnus replied, gaining a pained gasp from both 'Ango' and Taako. He gnawed his lip. "Y'see, that's where I reckon I'm from - can't remember much." He waited a moment for the information to settle in their minds. Standing himself back up, he went on. "I mean, I can't remember much of anythin' outside this here quarry."

"Can't remember anything at all?" 'Ango' paraphrased with a serious questioning tone, "So you can't remember Merle; or me; Julia; Taako; The .... too?"

Magnus cocked a brow. "Beg yer pardon?"

"The ....? Can't you remember that?"

"Yer mumblin', son."

"The - Oh my gods, can you hear when I say ....?"

Magnus shook his head. "Is all fuzzy." Taako and 'Ango' stared at him in utter dismay. Magnus shuffled his feet. The silence was palpable.

Taako shook himself out of it. Snapping his head up to the large hole above them he called out to a stocky character peering over the edge. "Merle, get us a rope!" He pivoted to Angus and took his stick with the purple canopy, collapsed the canopy, allowing it to gather against the stick, and waved it to 'Ango' with a glimmering trail following it in the air. 'Ango' started to hover and panicked briefly.

"Sir - Sir, my wand - ?"

"Mango will get it, kiddo."

"Oh - okay."

Magnus was stunned. "What?"

"You'll get Angus' wand, over there," Sounding unamused, Taako pointed to the pale stick with a yellow doodad, "And you will climb up this rope-" Taako held out a hand to his right expectantly. Shortly after, a coil of rope unravelled over the lip of the hole - falling onto Taako's head with a "whap" sound. He groaned and snapped to the stocky character. "Watch your aim! - You'll climb up this rope."

Magnus chortled at life's slapstick humour as the elf adjusted where his hand was and gripping the rope with a shake. He nodded and hobbled his way to the 'wand', plucked it between his thick fingers and slipping it into his back pocket, and made his way to the rope.

The blue sky looked intimidating. Magnus shuddered.

_It's either now or never, big fella._

Taking the rope in his textured hands, he started his way up and out of the quarry.

As he inched up the rope he bade farewell to the quarry, his home of ten whole years, and greeted the outside world for the first time.

The brilliant colours overwhelmed him with a pleasant buzzing in his chest. The yellow earth speckled with green crested the blue sky. In the distance was a warm coloured town - possibly Refuge. Magnus took a breath in; fresh air flushed out the dust in his hollow lungs, tasting almost sweet. He looked around, pivoted on his foot, and dropped down to feel the new textures with flat eyes glimmering with a childlike wonder. _This is what it's like outside._

Taako called him over. "Hey, you big lug, over here!"

Magnus looked up and saw Angus still hovering held by the short character, and Taako by the curious looking orb. The metal reflected and warped the scenery. Standing himself back up, he carefully padded over to the Orb, touching the smooth exterior. Breathless, he admired its features as one by one the people beside it stepped out of sight. He could hear them whispering amongst themselves - but the curiosity of the outside world was what he was fixated on.

After they finished their whispering, the orb suddenly opened with a hiss and a gust of air. Angus boarded first, then the character (whom upon further inspection, looked far too similar to the dwarf in his memories), then Taako, who stuck his head out and beckoned Magnus on.

"You think that's cool, get in here and check the view." He said, with a voice masking something that Magnus couldn't quite make out. Magnus looked at the entrance in the orb and hesitantly got in with Taako following soon after. Gasping as the entrance sealed, the party of three sat themselves in the seats provided and strapped a long belt over their chests and hips, looking at Magnus to do the same.

"Oh- Oh! Sorry 'bout that. Let me just -" He sat himself in the nearest seat, fumbled with his belt and buckled it in a small latch by his left with a soft click.

Taako sighed, pressing against the pattern on a metal thing coiled around his arm in sequence.

"What's that?" Magnus asked, leaning in as far as he could to see the thing clearer.

Taako chuckled helplessly, "Gods, you're like a puppy. It's a bracer from - from my job. I'm taking us to a - a place so you don't have to sleep under a rock. Literally." The orb lifted off the ground, causing the clay man to sit up straight and pull his legs up to his chest.

"Woah, there!" he said, anchoring himself with his arms.

"You'll be fine, Mango. Just enjoy the ride."

With a gentle motion, the orb drifted away from the hole and into the blue sky; over rolling planes of yellow that slowly transitioned to green fields and forests. Small patches of colourful specks welcomed distant critters and beasties to live in a strange sense of harmony.  
It was there that Magnus got to have a proper glimpse at the world's truest beauty. A facet of life that he has never seen before - mysteries he wanted to discover more of. It was breath-taking.

And the higher they climbed the more he was blessed with.


End file.
